Early March to May
Ice is melting
It is starting to get warmer[already warm in many parts]
Soil is wet and mushy
Flower buds are sprouting everywhere
Green leaves are making their presence felt in vegetable gardens and supermarkets
Bitter herbs calling out
Berries are magically appearing in our shopping lists….
What is happening inside our body -
According to Ayurveda, the warmth brought on by the onset of spring melts the fat [collected in the winter months]. This fat along with toxins starts to move around the body in our blood plasma.
At this stage, it becomes very important for us to provide our body with whatever assistance it requires, to reduce this load.
What can we do.
[Ayurveda says , do the opposite of what is excess in the body ]
For the BODY-
Lymphatic brushing , to create movement in the collected fat and toxins being released by the body (naturally in spring) so they can be flushed out easily. Use either a body brush or a small Turkish towel. Always brush towards the heart, upward strokes. Do this for 2-3 minutes before your bath.
Nasya - helps to remove excess fluid from the sinus and throat region. Clears any heaviness in the head region. For further details on Nasya, press the below link.
Cleaning out sinuses with salt water or Jal neti .
Steam - simple and easy way to shift the heaviness of the sinuses. Drop a couple of eucalyptus oil drops in your steamer and take slow and steady breaths. At Least 30.
Exercise regularly- Start your day with Surya namaskars/sun salutation. Exercise should be done to create heat to boost the movement of blood and lymph inside the body.
Move move move Move every half hour. Walk up and get yourself a glass of warm water sometimes, when the stomach is easy and empty you can even substitute the movement with 10 pushups done with complete awareness (any stretching or exercising must be done according to the capacity of our body).
If pollens have started to irritate you, don't leave the house without lubing your nostrils. Use sesame oil or olive oil [from your kitchen]. Dip your little finger into the oil and massage the nostril. Let the oil catch the pollen.
For our DIGESTION-
Kick start your digestion with chopped ginger in lemon juice before meals.
Eating warming herbs & spices (cumin, asafoetida, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, black pepper, turmeric, mustard seeds, rosemary, parsley )
Loads of greens - nature is supplying us with spring greens. Consume them to sweep the excess fat out of the body. Notice, most spring greens have a bitter taste to them.
Drink warm herbal teas – add ginger or tulsi or lemon to your hot water and sip in the day. Dandelion, turmeric, burdock, ginger, goldenseal are all gifted to us in the springtime.
Avoid dairy and dairy products –they are heavy and sweet. We need more bitter, astringent, and light foods to help the body detox from all the winter feasting.
Avoid too many grains – buckwheat, barley, and corn are drying and can be enjoyed during this period.
Fasting — now and then skip a meal or have kichari [recipe below] for three days or simply have early dinners. Give your digestion a break.
Recipe for kichari especially with sprouts [sprouts are light and nutritious]. You can replace the quinoa with rice and sprouts with Mung dal.
Last but not least don’t be constipated. Triphala - 1 or 2 tablets last thing at night to get things moving.
For our MIND -
Spend time with nature- slowly start to move out of the winter hibernation. Smell the soil and the vegetation. Take deep inhalations and exhalations.
Pranayama -Some breathing to create heat to move the fat and toxins out of the body.
A couple more recipes for the spring season….we will keep adding more as we glide through this beautiful time of the year.
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